Box-opener.



J. F. SGIHOBTTES.

BOX OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED smma, 190a.

Patented June 8, 1909.

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JOHN F. SCHOETTES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOX-OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Juries, 1909.

Application filed September 3, 1908. Serial No. 451,514.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. SoHoETTEs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Box-Openers, of which the following is a complete specification.

This invention relates to improvements in box openers and more particularly to a device adapted to open cigar boxes or the like.

It is customary to nail the front of a cigar box lid to the body of the box and to seal the joint therebetween by means of a strip of paper pasted on to the lid and front wall of the box and covering the joint. The revenue stamps are also pasted over the joint and it is necessary to sever the strip and the stamp before the lid can be opened.

Heretofore various devices have been employed to sever the seals and raise the lids of cigar boxes, some of which have been provided with an integral blade or edge adapted to be inserted into the joint between the lid and body of the box to wedge or pry the lid open, but such edge or blade soon becomes dull by coming in contact with the nails in the lid and its insertion is thereby rendered difficult.

The object of this invention is to provide a box opener in which the means adapted to engage the edge of the lid is adapted to be removed for the purpose of being sharpened or being replaced by another.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a box opener in which the means for engaging the edge of the lid may be adjusted to compensate for the wear thereon, and to permit the same to enter the joint under the lid or edge of the lid to a greater or less degree as preferred.

Another object of the invention is to provide a box opener having means thereon adapted to engage in the top of the lid to prevent the device from losing its hold on the edge of the lid when pressure is being exerted to raise the lid.

The invention consists of the matters hereinafter described in the specification and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the opener in position to open the box lid.

The device may be constructed of any preferred material and, as shown in said drawings, A indicates a handle having on one end thereof a thin plate or arm (1 adapted to over lap the lid a of the box A, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. In the end of said arm is a notch a to provide a claw to be used for withdrawing nails, and at the rear of said notch are a pair of points a adapted to engage in the top of the lid and to prevent the tool from being withdrawn when in operation. Said points may also be employed to run along the joint and sever the seal before the lid is opened, and to destroy the stamps. Intermediate the end of said arm and the handle is a transverse shoulder a which as shown, is provided with a longitudinal slot 0. which forms a clamping late a integral at its rear end with the hanc e. Adjustably engaged in said slot and projecting therefrom longitudinally of the arm are the en aging brads a which are secured in said s 0t by means of the clamping screw a extending through the plate and the rear portion of the shoulder. Said brads may be adjusted so that their points will project from the slot the desired distance and when the clamping screw is tightened they are held rigidly in place.

In operation the seal over the joint is first broken by means of the points (1 or in any other preferred manner, and the brads a are forced into the edge of the lid (1. When said brads are being forced into the edge of the lid the arm is held slightly inclined to prevent the points a from engaging the lid. When however said brads have been firmly seated the arm is brought down onto the lid, thereby causing the points to embed therein and preventing the brads from being withdrawn from the lid until the arm is again raised. When the opener is thus secured in place upward pressure on the handle will cause the lid to 0 on and the brads cannot be withdrawn rom the lid by such pressure since rearward movement is prevented by the points a Obviously the brads a may be spaced a sufficient distance from the arm a to permit them to enter the joint beneath the lid if desired instead of entering the edge of the lid. Obviously also many details of form and construction may be varied without departing from the principles of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described the combination with a handle of an arm thereon, means adjacent said arm adapted to engage the edge of a lid and means adapted to prevent said engaging means from with drawing.

2. In a device of the class described the combination with a handle of an integral arm thereon, a shoulder on said arm, and engaging means in said arm and shoulder extending at right angles to each other.

3. In a device of the class described the combination with a handle of an arm thereon, a point in said arm, a shoulder on said arm, and a brad adjustably engaged in said shoulder.

4. In a device of the class described the combination With a handle of an arm thereon, a point in said arm, a slotted shoulder on said arm, a brad in said slot and means adapted to secure said brad in adjusted position.

5. In a device of the class described the combination. with a handle of an arm there on provided with a transverse shoulder, :1. point in said arm, a clamping plate integral with said arm and overlap )ing said shoulder, a brad between said shoulder and plate and means adapted to engage said brad in place.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. SCHOETTES.

itnesses Ron'r. KLoTZ, Bnn'rrm Znrrz. 

